- Rio Ngumoha has confirmed he has left Chelsea to join rivals Liverpool
- Liverpool reportedly have high hopes for the 16-year-old winger
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Liverpool have completed the signing of highly-rated teenage striker Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea.
The Premier League approved the deal on Wednesday after the Reds passed the five-step assessment common when a young player wants to move between two Category 1 academies.
The reason for this was reports in July that the 16-year-old wanted to leave Chelsea and move to Anfield.
Chelsea, who have consistently spent heavily on young players under Todd Boehly, are said to be furious at the prospect of losing Ngumoha.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that the Reds are confident they have signed a “super talent for the future”, with John Terry messaging the youngster on Instagram.
Rio Ngumoha has confirmed he has joined Liverpool in a post on social media
The 16-year-old leaves Chelsea disappointed after switch to rivals Liverpool
John Terry sent the youngster a message on Instagram to wish him ‘good luck’ at Liverpool
It adds that the Reds see the forward as ‘a major talent for the present and future, and as part of a long-term first-team project’.
Ngumoha will join Liverpool on a student contract and is said to be motivated by the opportunities Liverpool offer, particularly the second team of young players who won the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea last season.
In a post on Instagram, he said he was “happy” to sign with the Reds and thanked Chelsea’s youth academy.
Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to react to the news. He said: ‘Good luck mate.’
It continues a trend that has seen Liverpool poach talented youngsters from across the country, including Trey Nyoni and Amara Nallo from Leicester and West Ham respectively last summer.
He starts in Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s under-18s team and could make his debut in the home game against Blackburn Rovers on September 14.
No agreement has been reached yet on compensation between the clubs. It is likely that development costs will have to be reimbursed and a court will have to be consulted to determine the amount.
Liverpool had a relatively quiet summer, only really coming to life towards the end with one signing for this season and another set to join next summer.
Federico Chiesa joined from Juventus for a bargain £12.5million, while Georgian goalkeeper Giori Mamardashvili will join the Reds next summer after joining from Valencia for a fee of £29million plus a further £4million in add-ons.